Söder in Vienna: Battle for the Brenner Pass remains unresolved!

Söder in Vienna: Battle for the Brenner Pass remains unresolved!

Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder is on his way to Vienna to meet the new Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker. This meeting, which will take place next Thursday, is all about the long-standing transit dispute between Bavaria and Tyrol. The dispute revolves around the block handling introduced by Tyrol, which severely restricts truck traffic on certain days. This leads to hour-long traffic jams on the Bavarian side, stretching all the way to the A93 and A8. When traveling to Italy, the route from Munich via Tyrol to the Brenner plays a central role, and dissatisfaction with the traffic conditions is becoming increasingly louder.

A quick solution to the problem seems a long way off. Söder's previous meetings with Stock's predecessors did not produce any noticeable progress. After all, an agreement was reached in 2023 that provides for a digital traffic management system between Bavaria, Tyrol and South Tyrol. Nevertheless, the question of the concrete implementation of the pragmatic solutions that Söder would like to advocate for is still open. A proposal to introduce a European toll, which Söder presented to the Vienna Chancellery in 2022, has not yet been applied.

Lawsuit and political tensions

The dispute over block clearance has now reached a new dimension: Italy is planning to take legal action against Austria before the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Transport Minister Matteo Salvini criticizes the measures as “arrogance” and sees lifting the transit bans as an absolute priority. That's what she reports Mercury that the Italian government had already taken steps in this direction in October 2023. A first hearing at the European Commission took place on April 8, 2024, and the Commission has now also signaled its support by acting as an intervener.

The Italian government must first appeal to the EU Commission, which has three months to respond. It remains to be seen how the Commission will respond to the lawsuit and whether this will further fuel the potential for conflict. Tyrol has introduced block handling since 2017, which has a significant impact on the traffic situation throughout the region. The traffic jams are so massive that a 110-kilometer-long traffic jam was even recorded on the Italian side.

Economic interests and environmental protection

The economic excesses of the transit dispute not only affect truck drivers, but also the medium-sized transport industry. According to the Federal Association of Road Haulage Transport (BGL), the situation is intolerable for companies. The Traffic review reports that previous ECJ rulings state that the Austrian transit measures are not in line with EU law. Despite all this, Germany, which is also affected, has so far remained passive and has not joined the lawsuit.

Meanwhile, Söder emphasizes the importance of closer cooperation in energy policy and on the issue of migration. He sees potential, particularly with regard to the use of hydropower. There are efforts for joint implementation on the Salzach, with environmentalists taking to the barricades against a planned hydroelectric power plant in the “Tittmoninger Basin”. The challenges are diverse and there is currently no clear solution in sight.